Scientific evidence of soil transfer of pyrrolizidine alkaloids originating from weed species to rooibos tea

Pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination of food in Africa: A review of current trends and implications

“…Common farming practices such as slash-and-burnt and slash-and-mulch have been found to contaminate the soil with PAs [ 3 ]. Food crops absorb PAs from the soil or water, resulting in their accumulation in various plant parts, including leaves, stems, grains and roots, thereby introducing the toxin into the food chain [ [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] ]. In Ghana, trace amounts of PAs were recently detected in maize grains and leave (forage) as a result of these common agricultural practices [ 3 ], while in South Africa, contamination of commercial rooibos tea ( Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.)…”

“…In Ghana, trace amounts of PAs were recently detected in maize grains and leave (forage) as a result of these common agricultural practices [ 3 ], while in South Africa, contamination of commercial rooibos tea ( Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R.Dahlgren) has been linked to the lateral transfer of PAs from Senecio angustifoliu s, a PA plant, to a non- PA plant, rooibos tea [ 44 , 45 ]. This clearly demonstrates that food crops could take-up PAs from the soil in the immediate vicinity of a PA plant material as a result of common farming practices.…”

Simultaneous Determination of 23 Pyrrolizidine and Tropane Alkaloids in Infusions from Dry Edible Flowers Using Optimized μSPEed® Microextraction Prior to Their Analysis by UHPLC-IT-MS/MS

“…Both families of alkaloids can enter the food chain due to cross-contamination with plants that naturally produce these toxins, known as PA/TA-producing plants ( Datura stramonium , Atropa belladonna , Echium vulgare , Senecio vulgaris , among others). Another form of contamination proposed recently is the horizontal transfer of alkaloids through the soil, so PAs/TAs produced by donor plants are taken up by the roots of acceptor plants [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”